Sunday, December 27, 2015

Since school has been out life has slowed down. Production had their last day a week later and a celebration.

A little Fanta and a game of musical chairs was enjoyed by all.

Peter enjoyed a game of horseshoes with a friend on Friday.

Saturday I made the cookies for the gingerbread house. Had to make a pattern too.

Monday I had to go see the triplets, all bull calves. A very rare event. God truly has blessed.

We dug up a clump of lemon grass to plant in our yard. We haven't had any since we moved from the Nyagatare house in April. Nice to have some in the yard again.

That afternoon we invited the Merrild's over- Christian & Fiona, Alexander, Isabel and Lucy, to help us decorate the gingerbread house.

It was a first for them and they did a great job.

Peter bought a barrel for us for the yard.

Olivier teaches computer classes in our compound and his first class graduated Tuesday. A needed service for the community and we hope God will send money for a classroom for his classes along with what we need for the new sewing school.

And another game with our guard Theogen.

A trip to Kigali and a dish of poutine!

A beautifully decorated tree at the MTN building - a nice sight!!!

Before heading into the church for the cantata we walked around the grounds.

We came home the next day, Christmas Eve and had a bit of time before heading over to the Merrild's for a Danish Christmas Eve celebration. A most wonderful time.

The children put on a program for us.

We had a great feast of food, like any meal at Christmas time. Then for dessert we had a traditional rice pudding that has to all be eaten so someone can find the whole almond amongst the crushed ones in the pudding and have the honour of receiving a prize. Lucy was the winner and enjoyed the game of connect 4.

Singing and dancing around the tree and throughout the house was another tradition we enjoyed with them.

And reading the birth of Jesus from the Bible.

Then opening a few presents.

And of course a few homemade treats.

We went home stuffed and happy!!!

Christmas Day - we lit the last advent candle and read the story of our King's birth and enjoyed our Christmas present to each other, our house, waiting for evening to phone our family in Canada.

Sunday, December 20, 2015

I'm wanting to do some baking. Specifically Christmas baking and more specifically a gingerbread house. Problem- no gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters, and no molasses for the favourite dough. No problem in finding another recipe, but the cookie cutters are another story. NOTE to self: pick up gingerbread boy and girl cookie cutters in Canada in 2016 from someone. Who would like to pick them up for me and save them till we get there? (Contact me please.)

We are taking a break right now. It's been a long time since we did that - well we took a week a bit ago that was gentle suggested for us and we gladly took it. We seemed to fill the time with house details, which was needed, but we didn't rest. A break, I mean a planned, scheduled, on purpose 'let's get away' break. If Christmas hadn't come along I honestly think we would have kept going after a week, but we are taking two weeks and we really need it. It will be a good time to do some things around the yard that need doing and that change in itself is good for us. Peter has his horseshoe pits up and has taken time for a game. We still are planning, where to put what fruit tree, in the yard. And where to put grass and where to put the river for rain run off. Some of that is happening as we still have some rains occasionally and it makes its own path in the yard. It's really nice to see it all come together. I wish you could be here to see it. We have other plants and trees we want in the yard. We've pretty much finished building. Just some fixing to do, and landscaping.

I'm getting into cultured foods. I make sour kraut and kefir milk regularly. And I'm looking at starting to make my own kombucha. And I just started with sourdough. I'm finding that the three "K"s ( kraut, kefir, kombucha) are very good for my digestive system. I seem to be able to handle foods that I couldn't before like bread and coffee, processed foods. I also don't get sick as often as Peter does with cold/flu/sore throat. I like it!!! And my joints don't seem to be in pain as often.

Well let's see what else can I ramble on about. We are having to make a decision on the length of the sewing school. We may have to go for a full year - taking regular breaks as the children's school year, all because we have started the registration process. That will be good. It will be a good change.

We are looking forward to building new classrooms as the Lord provides the funds. I'm excited about this.

So excited about the sewing machines He provided. Thanks to all of you who played a part in that prayer request. God bless you!

So thankful to God too for providing for all our needs this year. We have a great God who loves us and looks out for us.

We sometimes feel we aren't doing enough or can do any more, but what He did for us by sending His Son - we can give some more, we can do another day, another week, another month, and another year. . . .

Thank you Jesus, you gave your all.

Well, that gingerbread house still isn't made, I better go and have some fun.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Today was the last day for the Advance Class. All of them put their best effort into the items made. Each had to make a shirt and a pair of pants to fit themselves. Theo did a great job of teaching them as I was not always available being that I was helping in Production three days of the week. The marks and certificates were handed out, and Fanta & bread were enjoyed by each of us!

Fiona shared with them some encouraging remarks, and I hope they will take to heart the value of the skill they have been taught this year. All signed up for production- a waiting list so far, as we have 5 machine in that department.

God is good and we hope for the funds for a building which is so desperately needed. God knows we need it with the 10 machines He has already provided.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

I haven't posted a blog is some time. We have had so many things on our plate that it is hard to have time to sit down and do a blog post. Only one in November - yikes I'm behind, but still above ground! Juggling the sewing school, starting production, and finishing the house has been a bit more than I could handle. We were kindly told and were given the opportunity to take a week off. Thanks to those who were involved in that, I know that you sacrificed your own schedules to accommodate the extra load!!!
So what did we do during that week - went to Kigali and shopped for more things that we needed/wanted for the house. That took about 4 days as we did it at a pace that was slower than we otherwise would have done it, and the rest of the week was spent at our house (doing things).
We have a long list of things that have to be done with the house that were an "oversight" when it was being built, and also things that we wanted to do - like hanging curtains, and getting new cupboards. We have a nice big pantry that needed shelves made for it. We needed to have more shelves and stands made for the kitchen, and now it is getting to look 'normal' as much as we were used to in Canada! When a house is built here there is no closets, cupboards or storage places built-in, so all that has to be added. Well, I'm sure that you could hire someone to do it, but Peter and I are wanting to do that ourselves. Enough about the house.

The Advanced Class is running very efficiently by Theo our Tailor!!! He has learned to "be the boss" as I encourage him to be and the students have learned to do it the way he has told them to do it (okay and some of you will add - the way Diane has told him too! - there!!!!) But we are both very pleased with the work that the students are doing. They are learning to do long sleeve button up shirts and dress pants with fly and waist band. He got them to do just a collar and tab that would fit them and then he had them do the cuffs with about 6 inches of sleeve attached so that they could learn the cuff and tab for the left hand and for the right. I, of course, had to grade them on these items and I am very pleased with the results of his teaching! This week he has started the pants and while he is doing that.....

The Production has started and is run by Fiona Merrild! So glad to have her on board. Her skill in getting the results she wants from the 5 she has in her "domain" is been shown in the end product! I really like the bags she has started with - 2 different styles from what I had done two years ago so that's good. She has a goal to do children's clothing and more and has knowledge on getting it 'online' for the ministry. She only works at the school 2 days of the week, as she is a homeschooling mom of three little ones, and her husband teaches the children on the two days she's away from home!!! Woot, woot to "Homeschooling Mom's and Dad's"!!!! Pray for them as this is a stretching period in their lives - Christian & Fiona Merrild. You can check out her blog here. A beautiful family!

Go over to the tab above that reads "Ashes To Worship Ministry (Rwanda)" to see the changes made there. Below is the blueprint drawing of the proposed new education building for the sewing school, computer classroom and offices. We hope to build this in sections costing about $20,000.00 CDN for each classroom/office. We are very pleased with those of you who have donated money for more sewing machines - Love It!!!! I know God is going to supply the funds for the much needed bigger classroom in His own time!!! Thank you Lord!